Our Generation Florida

Tales of Indian Key

By Sandra Friend

Since it lies offshore between Tea Table Key and Lower Matacumbe in Islamorada, few motorists driving US 1 to Key West give it a second thought. But for those who plan ahead, a morning at Indian Key can be a fascinating ramble on a lonesome 11-acre island where you might be the only visitor.

Known to Spanish explorers in 1527 as the passage at the “Wells of Matecumbe,” this coral rock island stands sentinel at a two-mile passage between the reefs to Florida Bay that the earliest sailing ships could navigate. Because it was a passage that these early sailing ships sought out, more than 300 ships wrecked on the reefs around the island within one year.  In November 1830, Key West wrecker Jacob Houseman bought land on the island to establish a flourishing business of claiming the wreckage from ships run aground around the island. A small settlement grew and evolved into a stop for traders; John James Audubon rested during his 1832 visit to the Keys. Thanks to his political connections, Houseman succeeded in having Indian Key named the county seat in 1836 when Dade County was first carved out of Mosquito County.

In 1838, noted botanist Henry Perrine moved his family here and began to experiment with cultivating various tropical plants, particularly agave, which runs rampant on the island today. As the Second Seminole War dragged on, residents of the settlement feared an attack because of their well-stocked storehouses. It finally happened on August 7, 1840. When the Indians attacked, Houseman and his wife escaped; other residents hid in the post office and under tables. Perrine’s first thought was for his family. Since their house sat above the water, he let them through a trapdoor to the water below and then turned to defend the exit by trying to reason with the Indians. Perrine was killed and the house set on fire. 14-year-old Henry Perrine Jr. saved the rest of the family by sailing them to nearby Tea Table Key.

The key is now protected and managed as Indian Key Historic State Park, and lies just south of the bridge to Lower Matacumbe. As you explore the island, note the foundations of the three-story warehouses, one with an ingenious “flush toilet” in the corner—the tide cleans out the hewn stone privy. The ruins of a cistern and the post office are still here, as is Jacob Houseman’s grave. Interpretive exhibits help reconstruct the story of this once-thriving town.

To reach the island, visit Robbie’s Marina (305-664-9814) for rental of a sea kayak; hurricanes demolished the ferryboat dock that was used by the state park staff, so this is a on-your-own adventure. Make sure you visit with the tarpon at Robbie’s—you can feed them as they swarm around the dock. Although Indian Key lies on the Atlantic Ocean side of the Overseas Highway and enjoys cool breezes, the vegetation is dense enough that you should bring mosquito repellant. Snorkeling is excellent offshore, with reefs in shallows easy enough for the most timid of swimmers.

Indian Key Historic State Park: www.floridastateparks.org/indiankey

BIO: Sandra Friend co-authored South Florida: An Explorer’s Guide for Countryman Press. A member of the Society of American Travel Writers, she lives in Ocala. Learn more at www.sandrafriend.com